I love organizing! I actually almost started a professional organizing business before I had my little girl, because I enjoy it so much. Some of you can relate, and some of you cannot. My hope for this post is to help those of you who cannot relate to my love of organizing see a little of why I love it and maybe want to do a little yourself! 🙂 

Organizing can be a little (or a lot) daunting. There is usually a big mess before we decide to organize, and just looking at it can make a person start shutting down. I have definitely been there, so here are a few tips to help you feel confident when you tackle your organizing job:

First, I used to watch organizing videos and realize that I didn’t have enough money to organize my home. I mean, some people spend thousands of dollars on baskets and bins, and I don’t really have anything to spend on those types of things! I am here to tell you that you really don’t need to spend money on baskets and bins most of the time. It does sometimes look really nice with them. But using a little creativity and a few things you likely have on hand, you can do without all the expensive items you usually see.

To have an organized house there are a few things that you need:

1. Less clutter
2. A place for everything (or a “home” as I like to call it)
3. A system to keep it in its home

I like to tackle a small place first. It helps me feel accomplished when I finish quickly, and I get myself into the organizing mood before I jump into a bigger, more overwhelming project.

Example:

My bathroom cupboard – the space underneath my sink – can get extremely disorganized. Things go in and out fairly often and, let’s be real, it’s not easy to bend down and look inside. Most of the time I am in a hurry to get it shut and locked again before my toddler gets into anything, so things often just get thrown inside without me making sure to put them in their place. So how could you organize that space in such a way as to keep it organized for a longer period of time?

Unload everything from the cupboard. Now look at each item and ask yourself: Do I need this? If so, does it make sense for it to go here? For example, you might find a bottle of mirror cleaner and yes, you need it and yes, it should go there. However, you then find a book, and likely it shouldn’t go there. Look through each item and separate them into piles: one for things to get rid of (either donate, trash, or recycle), one for things to put elsewhere, and one for things you want to put back. (This is also a good time to get anything else you have that you want to fit in this space. Add it to the pile of things to put back.)

Now take the pile of things to go back in and think about what things you use most and what things you rarely use. For instance, the mirror cleaner is probably used at least once a week, but the extra hand soap isn’t needed so often. I like to place the items that are frequently used closer to the front so they are more easily accessed and also easier to put away. Maybe put your extra bar soap in a little box in the back, and your mirror cleaner could sit in a line with your other spray bottles in front of that. (I find it helpful to look on Pinterest to find ways to organize in a specific space. Here is a link to a picture that helped me with my cupboard a while back: https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/679410293762339395/) Once you have put everything in its home, take a step back and feel proud of what you just accomplished! Doesn’t it feel great? 

It is a good idea to test out your newly organized space for a week and see how you like it. You may have to tweak a few things until they suit your needs best.

Recap:

• Sort – to create less clutter
• Find a place for your item to live – i.e. under the sink or on the book shelf
• Make sure the item is in a convenient place for use (this will help you put it back where it belongs and keep things tidy longer)

Unfortunately, cupboards will not stay organized forever and you will need to do a little tidy-up once in a while. Try and make a habit to put things back in their place right away, and this will greatly reduce the amount of time it will take to tidy up. If everything has a place, it doesn’t take long to do a little straightening to keep things neat.

Not too complicated, right? I hope these tips will help you while organizing your home and maybe give you a little motivation when you are feeling overwhelmed.

What are your best tips for organization? Leave them in the comments below as well as any questions you may have.